Electronic devices, e.g., computer systems, electronic entertainment systems, and the like, typically include components, e.g., processors, micro-controllers, high speed video cards, disk drives, semi-conductor devices, and the like, that generate considerable amounts of heat.
It is generally known that relatively high temperatures can negatively affect the performance and operating lives of these components. This problem is further exacerbated with the continuing advances in electronic device performance which has led to increases in both the number of heat generating components included in the electronic devices and the amount of heat generated by the some of the components. For instance, the processor alone of a modern personal computer can generate up to 80 watts of heat.
Operation of the heat generating components at temperatures above a predetermined range can result in irreversible damage. In addition, it has been established that the reliabilities of semiconductor electronic devices decrease with increasing operating temperatures. Therefore, the heat energy produced by the components during operation must be removed at a rate which substantially ensures that operational and reliability requirements are met.
In order to substantially maintain proper operation of the heat generating components and to substantially extend their useful lives, it is generally known to provide one or more mechanisms to cool the components. The mechanisms are typically designed to remove the heat energy from electronic packages in computers. For instance, conventional mechanisms often incorporate one or more fans to provide forced air cooling of the components. In these types of mechanisms, air flow is achieved by drawing air into an electronic device housing from an exterior thereof. Air that is drawn into the housing typically passes through a chassis area over the components, thereby cooling the components through direct contact.
Another mechanism conventionally implemented to assist in the cooling of heat generating components are heat sinks. Heat sinks are often metal plate structures, e.g., generally upstanding fins, designed to be directly attached to heat generating components in order to draw heat therefrom. Heat sinks can include a fan to remove the heat accumulated on the metal plate structures.
Just a few examples of the many and various cooling mechanisms that have been used and proposed in personal computers are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,088,223, 6,094,345 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,698, for instance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,116 describes a fan assisted heat sink device in which the heat sink assembly also forms the housing surrounding the fan. U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,539 describes a similar type of heat sink in which a divider member separates the intake and exhaust air flow paths.
Although known cooling mechanisms have, no doubt, been relatively suitable for their intended uses, there can be several drawbacks and disadvantages associated with their use and their adoption to situations where successive generations of components generate ever increasing amounts of heat. For instance, in many applications it is not suitable to simply increase the power of fans used for cooling since this would inevitably increase the acoustic noise generated by the apparatus. Neither is it possible to increase the size of heat sinks. Large heat sinks are relatively expensive because of the materials used and frequently need to be mounted to the exterior of a casing and can thus be unsightly and inappropriate for many designs. It is therefore not sufficient in many instances to simply scale up the known solutions.
This invention is directed to providing an improved cooling mechanism for electronic apparatus, particularly personal computers, that can, at reasonable cost, accommodate the increasing power output of modern processor chips without necessarily increasing the bulk of the housing or the acoustic noise produced.